Twisting the Scriptures

An uneasiness permeated the Church. Throughout the Roman empire, God’s people were facing greater opposition and even persecution.

The apostle Peter, sensing that he would soon be martyred (2 Peter 1:13-14), wrote his final, sobering letter to the Church. In this epistle he warned Christians that those who are “untaught and unstable” would twist the Scriptures (2 Peter 3:16).

What did he mean?

What do you mean, “twisting the Scriptures”?

The Greek word translated “twist” in the New King James Version and “wrest” in the King James Version is strebloō.

According to Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary, the word can also be translated “torture.” That’s because the Greek term comes from a root that refers to “‘a winch’ or ‘instrument of torture.’”

As such, the passage describes a completely unnatural interpretation forced onto Scripture, leading to misunderstanding of Scripture. But who would do this?

Unfortunately, Peter did not provide specific information. He did, however, in the same verse describe these individuals as “untaught and unstable people.”

According to The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, the untaught people Peter mentions are “those who have not learned the apostolic teaching (Acts 2:42) nor have they been taught by the Father (John 6:45)” (Vol. 12, p. 288).

The religious environment of the first century

The people of the ancient Near East during the first century were exposed to an array of ideas, philosophies and belief systems. The process had begun with the conquests of Alexander the Great, who brought much of the known world into his empire.

By the time of the Romans, who were masters of engineering, travel was safer and faster than it had ever been. Ideas traveled alongside goods and soldiers.

Mystery religions of the East competed with and mixed with Greek philosophy as well as with local pagan religions. Even Christianity faced the pressure to incorporate foreign concepts in a process scholars call syncretization.

We don’t know for certain, but Peter may have been reacting to gnostic teachings that began to appear at this time.

Paul Johnson, in A History of Christianity, described gnosticism as “a spiritual parasite which used other religions as a ‘carrier’” and explained that “gnostic groups seized on bits of Christianity, but tended to cut it off from its historical origins” (p. 45).

This was a real threat the Church faced, and it may have been the threat Peter was addressing. Whether Peter was specifically thinking about gnostics or some other group of “untaught and unstable people,” however, is less important than the warning about twisting the Scriptures.

Twisting the Scriptures in context

Peter may not have identified these deceitful teachers, but throughout the final chapter, and even earlier in his letter, he gave us hints about their teachings.

In the very next verse, Peter refers to these individuals as “wicked” (verse 17). The Greek word is athesmos, which can be translated “lawless.”

Since it was the writings of Paul that were being twisted (verse 15), Paul’s own words might shed light on what was being taught, especially in relation to the description of these men as “lawless.”

The book of Romans includes a statement about people purposely twisting his words.

Amid a discussion of God’s grace and righteousness, Paul rhetorically asked: “And why not say, ‘Let us do evil that good may come’?—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say” (Romans 3:8).

Other statements Peter made in his final epistle fit with this idea. The conduct of the members was of great concern, which is why he urged them to “be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless” (2 Peter 3:14).

In the preceding chapter Peter wrote of false teachers promising liberty yet being enslaved to sin (2 Peter 2:19). Once again, this hints that people were teaching that God’s law did not matter.

Denying Christ, denying His return

Other false teachings mentioned in Peter’s last epistle are the denial of Christ and the denial that He will return.

Peter wrote that these men would “bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them” (2 Peter 2:1). The real motivation for these false teachers was material gain, as indicated by their “covetousness” (verse 3).

Peter foretold of another group, which he characterized as “scoffers,” denying that Christ would return (2 Peter 3:3-4). This teaching may have developed because a generation had already passed without Christ returning.

In order to explain God’s timing and encourage his readers, Peter wrote that God “is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (verse 9).

The master of twisting the Scriptures

Humans have been guilty of twisting the Scriptures through the centuries, but the real master is Satan. He did so as he put temptation before Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13).

This occurred just before Jesus launched His ministry. Going into the wilderness, Jesus fasted for 40 days, specifically in preparation for facing temptations.

Attempting to make one of those temptations seem reasonable, Satan quoted Psalm 91, which promises angelic protection to God’s faithful (Matthew 4:6). However, he twisted the Scripture when he claimed that Jesus could throw Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple and not be harmed.

Jesus countered with a passage from the Torah warning the people of Israel not to “tempt the LORD your God” (Deuteronomy 6:16).

How to avoid twisting the Scriptures

All of us are biased. We are biased by cultural and social preconditioning. We are biased by our religious—or nonreligious—upbringing.

We live in a world blinded by Satan (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). It is impossible to truly come to Jesus, and therefore the way of life He exemplified, without God’s direct intervention (John 6:44).

There are, however, some strategies that can help us avoid twisting the Scriptures ourselves or falling prey to others who do. Here are a few basic principles:

1. Ask God for understanding

Asking for God’s guidance and help is always helpful when studying the Bible. We cannot approach the Bible objectively without having help from God. That help comes through His Holy Spirit (John 14:26).

2. Truth or opinion?

The modern world places great value on the right to hold and express our personal opinions. In a broken world, that can be a good thing.

When it comes to Bible study, though, neither my opinion nor your opinion counts for much. Peter expressed this truth in his final epistle, explaining “that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation” (2 Peter 1:20).

Prophecy in this passage is not limited to prediction. The Greek word for “prophecy” is prophēteia. According to Vine’s, this word means “the speaking forth of the mind and counsel of God.”

Learn more about discovering the truth of Scripture without falling for human opinions in our articles “What Does the Bible Say About ‘My Truth’?” and “The Love of the Truth.”

3. Context

One of the most important tools at the disposal of anyone who wants to dig into Scripture is context. It’s much more difficult to correctly understand biblical statements when they’re ripped from their context.

One commonly misunderstood passage is in Acts. Peter saw a vision in which he was told three times to kill and eat all kinds of animals (Acts 10:9-16). Many Bible readers see this vision as God telling Peter he can eat unclean meats, such as pork and shellfish.

However, Peter himself stated the meaning of the vision later in the chapter: “God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean” (verse 28, emphasis added).

The point is, we can avoid a great deal of confusion if we take the time to consider the context of a passage.

4. Language, history and culture

The Bible was written over the course of centuries and was completed some two millennia ago. The authors of the individual books did not speak our language, nor did they live lives that resemble our own.

We can gain deeper understanding of what was written if we make the effort to learn at least something about the biblical languages. We can do that with tools such as Vine’s and other dictionaries and lexicons.

We should also try to understand something about the history and various cultures reflected in the pages of Scripture. There are books about biblical customs that are quite helpful, and you can also find helpful information in reputable commentaries.

Committing yourself to such principles of study requires time and effort, but you’ll be glad you did. Almost immediately after writing his warning about twisting the Scriptures, Peter urged Christians to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). Properly using the Scriptures is a key ingredient for spiritual growth.

Learn more by downloading our free study guide 7 Keys to Better Bible Study.